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Spanish Grand Prix general director Luis Garcia Abad insists there is âno doubtâ this yearâs race at the new Madring circuit in Madrid will go ahead, rejecting rumours Formula 1 could replace the event on the calendar because of construction delays or FIA homologation concerns. Garcia Abad said: "It is not possible in terms of the contract. Rumours are rumours; every day, everywhere in the F1 paddock. But it's not the case... No doubts about that. The FIA, FOM, and ourselves, we don't have any problem in terms of delivering the event properly."
Audi driver Nico Hulkenberg says critics of Formula 1âs 2026 regulations should stop watching if they do not enjoy the racing, adding that the sport has always had to move with the times as technology changes. Hulkenberg said: "To be honest, it's always been like that in F1, hasn't it? F1 is about leading in technology, and you have to go with the times. I think when you look at the racing now, the first three races we've had [in 2026], it's been entertaining. It's been good to watch with plenty of on-track action. And I mean, if you don't like it, you don't have to watch."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says George Russell will âreturnâ as a serious threat from the Canadian Grand Prix and be ready to âmake life difficultâ for his rivals after a challenging weekend in Miami. Wolff said: "Russell hasn't done as well, in some cases due to team problems, or bad luck, and in Miami due to his own mistakes. That said, we know George's value, and we know he'll return, starting from Canada, very competitive and ready to make life difficult for his opponents."
Fernando Alonso says he expects to decide on his Formula 1 future after the summer break, with the Aston Martin driver in the final year of his contract. Alonso said: "I'm open to everything. Until probably after the summer break I will not really sit down with the team and make the decision. We need to see also how the car improves and how we see things into next year."
Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds says he would like Max Verstappen to privately test the seriesâ new Gen4 car so he can give his feedback, after the four-time world champion described Formula 1âs latest machinery in pre-season testing in Bahrain as âFormula E on steroidsâ. Dodds said: "If Max were to jump in this car, he would have never driven anything like this. Max wouldn't have driven anything that can accelerate 30 per cent faster than his Formula 1 car, not that I'm aware of anyway, with permanent all-wheel drive. It would be pretty exciting for us, privately, to hear his feedback in driving something like that, to see what the sensation is for someone who is a generational talent."
Carlos Sainz says Alpine is still âclearlyâ ahead of Williams despite the teamâs improved Miami Grand Prix, after revealing its upgrade package was meant to be on the car for the opening race in Australia but only arrived in Florida. Sainz said: "We finally put the upgrade on the car that was supposed to come to race one, because of all the delays we had at the beginning of the season. Now it's on the car, it's performing at least at the level of the midfield cars. Clearly, this weekend, we were I think sixth fastest, but then Alpine is 20 seconds in front of us. So we need to put our heads down and, from here, make this the new baseline and start improving."
Alpine has issued a brief response to PlanetF1.com amid rumours that Gucci could replace BWT as its title sponsor for the 2027 F1 season. The team said it is âconstantly looking for new partnership opportunitiesâ and is in contact with a wide range of potential partners, but added that discussions are kept confidential and only disclosed once âconfirmed and agreed by all partiesâ.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown says Formula 1âs next big challenge in the United States is to grow its TV audience, with viewership still ârelatively smallâ compared with major American sports despite having three grands prix in the country. Brown said: "I think it's going to â be TV ratings. I think TV ratings are still relatively small compared to the NFLs of the world. I think that's the biggest area of growth, getting the TV âratings up."
Lando Norris says Formula 1 drivers do not have much say over the sportâs rules because decisions have to balance the interests of manufacturers, partners and teams. Norris said: "What we want as drivers is also what will be better for the fans to see. It's a business at the end of the day, so you have to balance the business side, which is obviously where we don't have a lot of say."
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari need to examine a front-wing concept he believes Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull are using to make gains, after Ferrariâs upgrade package underwhelmed at the Miami Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "The others have also taken a step. I heard McLaren brought a step and it was worth much more than they had anticipated. That's not how we have experienced ours. They - Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull - are doing something different with their front wing [compared] to us. So we need to look into that to see whether or not there's something we can improve on."
ADAC has announced there will be no ticket sales at the box office on Saturday for this weekendâs ADAC RAVENOL 24h NĂźrburgring, citing unprecedented demand linked to Max Verstappenâs debut in the event. ADAC said day tickets for Thursday, Friday and Sunday remain available online and urged fans not to travel without a valid ticket.
Carlos Sainz says Williamsâ turnaround will take âsome monthsâ and may not be clear until the last third of the 2026 season, even after the team made progress with its Miami Grand Prix upgrade to address its overweight FW48. Sainz said: "It's going to take some months to finish the turnaround. I think we're going to need to get to the last third of the season to see a proper turnaround. But at least the upgrade worked. The weight of the car came a bit off but we still know there's a bit to go. We have a few bits and pieces coming for the next couple of races. So we're going to keep the positives and make sure we keep focusing on the negatives."
Kimi Antonelli says Mercedes has told him and George Russell they are free to race each other in this yearâs title fight, but must do so cleanly and with the teamâs interests in mind. Antonelli said: "So obviously me and George are very well aware that we can race each other, but with respect and without trying to do any stupid things."
Fernando Alonso joked he would retire from Formula 1 if he manages to finish fifth in a race for Aston Martin this season. Alonso said: "If I finish P5 in some race, I will probably retire that afternoon."
Fernando Alonso says he has âno doubtâ Aston Martin will be in a stronger position next year after a slow and unreliable start to the 2026 season. Alonso said: "100%, I have no doubt. If not, we go backwards. Next year, in year two, I have no doubts that the project is going to be more prepared than it has been in year one."
Max Verstappen says âsuccess would mean winningâ as he prepares to make his NĂźrburgring 24 Hours debut this weekend in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered under the Verstappen Racing banner. Verstappen said: "Success would mean winning. That's very simple, that's why we are here. I know it's not going to be easy, but that's the target for everyone."
Charles Leclerc is closing in on Michael Schumacherâs Ferrari record for race starts, with 154 Grands Prix for the Scuderia in 2026 â 26 fewer than Schumacherâs 180 from 1996-2006.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are probably the strongest driver pairing on the grid, but that McLaren needs to make its car faster to take advantage in the constructors' championship. Stella said: "When we look in particular at the Constructors' championship, I think we are from a driver's point of view probably the strongest pair. We want to capitalise on this strength that we have at McLaren, but we need to make the car a little bit faster."
Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack says the team still has âa lot to extractâ from its current package after arriving at the Miami Grand Prix without any aerodynamic upgrades. Krack said: "You have to acknowledge, 'what is the strategy?', and 'what is the plan?' And our job at the track here is to get the maximum out of what you have... So we have a lot to extract from this package, the way it is at the moment. It's important that we keep everybody motivated to work on that, and then wait for the big steps to come."
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